Nado covered his burning cheek; half of his face swelled up instantly, his features contorted in agony.
He looked up at the old man in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock and humiliation.
As a powerful figure of the Five Elements Planet, even though his cultivation level has declined, he has never been humiliated in public like this, let alone being slapped away in front of everyone.
"A hundred years... I've waited a hundred years!" Nado lay on the ground, his voice hoarse, filled with resentment and anger. "I am an envoy sent by the Alliance to guard the border, why can't I enter the city?!"
The old man withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping indifferently over Nado, who was covered in blood. A disdainful smile curled at the corner of his lips, "Guarding the border? You're not worthy. The Alliance's laws are strict. Without the proper qualifications, even the Heavenly King himself wouldn't be allowed to set foot in the outer city."
The old man lifted his foot and gently pressed the sole of his boot against Nado's neck, pinning him to the ground and preventing him from getting up.
The old man's voice carried an air of condescending indifference. "So what if it's a hundred years? In this Cultivation Alliance Star Domain, there are plenty of people who wait for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. You, a mere ant from a Five Elements Planet, dare to make a fuss here."
Upon seeing this, the surrounding cultivators all retreated, not daring to utter a word.
A hint of schadenfreude flashed in everyone's eyes, mixed with a touch of fear. Everyone knew that the guards at the outer city entrance were known throughout the alliance for their incorruptibility, and that several truly powerful figures were hidden among them.
Nado was pinned to the ground, a suffocating pain shooting through his neck. He struggled desperately, but couldn't move.
A burning rage of humiliation raged within him, yet faced with the old man's strength, he dared not even entertain the slightest thought of resistance.
Nado could only grit his teeth and let the blood flow down his chin, his resentment towards the Cultivation Alliance growing ever stronger.
Luo Chuan stood at the back of the crowd, his eyes behind the mask narrowing slightly. Looking at Nado's disheveled appearance, he felt little sympathy, but he also realized that the rules of this outer city were far stricter than he had imagined.
Long Panzi has been operating in this area for millions of years, and the entire alliance is under his control. Infiltrating here will likely be more difficult than he anticipated.
"Suppress your anger, Nado." The old man sneered, releasing his foot, and said indifferently, "Either go back to your Five Elements Planet, or stay in the outer city and guard it. If you dare to make a sound again, this slap will be the least you can do."
Nado lay on the ground, his chest heaving violently, but in the end he could only swallow his humiliation and slunk to his feet.
He covered his face, retreating from the crowd with every step he took, looking back repeatedly. His eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and resentment, but he dared not make any further moves.
Seeing this, the others turned and left, not daring to say anything more. After all, in the face of absolute power, they were nothing but ants.
Luo Chuan did not enter the outer city, but followed Nado to a restaurant where envoys who came to the city wanted to enter the outer city stayed.
The strength of these cultivators varied greatly, with the strongest having reached the Spirit Severing Realm and the weakest only at the Ascendant Realm.
However, the fact that none of these guys were qualified to enter shows just how dangerous it is to get into the inner city.
Nado was also sitting in a chair drinking. The pain on his face made him furious, and he could only drown his sorrows in alcohol. His hatred for the Cultivation Alliance grew even stronger.
Just then, Nado also saw the young man sitting in front of him. He immediately frowned and shouted, "Where did this bastard come from? Get lost! I'm in a bad mood today!"
Luo Chuan poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and said, "Brother Nado, it's been many years. I didn't expect you to have become a powerful expert at the Spirit Severing Realm."
Upon hearing the other person address him by his name, Nado subconsciously frowned, looked at the stranger before him, and asked in confusion, "Fellow Daoist, who are you, and why do you know me?"
Do you still remember the Ancient God Land?
Upon hearing the words " Ancient God Land," Nado abruptly stood up, a barely perceptible look of shock flashing in his eyes.
" Vermilion Bird Planet... the Ancient God Land... you are... you are Luo..."
Just as Nado was about to call out Luo Chuan's name, Luo Chuan immediately raised his hand to interrupt him. After all, his identity was special, and if it were exposed, probably no one would be able to leave this world alive today.
Nado was naturally aware that the Cultivation Alliance was hunting Luo Chuan, so he returned to his chair and asked, "Fellow Daoist, why are you here too?"
You can just call me Zeng Niu.
Nado nodded in agreement, personally poured a glass of fine wine, and pushed it towards Luo Chuan, saying, "Brother Zeng Niu, what are you doing here? Weren't you already..."
Luo Chuan picked up the wine glass on the table, took a small sip, and replied calmly, "I have something rather important to discuss here. I'm just curious why you can't enter the outer city."
"Doesn't the outer city of the Cultivation Alliance allow envoys to enter?"
Nado sighed and replied, "Brother Zeng Niu, you are unaware of this. Ever since the Cultivation Alliance began hunting down... a man named Luo Chuan a hundred years ago, they have not allowed outsiders to enter the outer city at will."
"Furthermore, I've heard that the Azure Dragonzi of the Azure Dragon Sacred Sect has ordered notices to be posted all over the outer city, promising a generous reward, even a treasure from the Cinie Treasure, to anyone who can kill Luo Chuan."
Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible chill flashed in Luo Chuan's eyes, and he thought to himself, "Azure Dragonzi of the Azure Dragon Sacred Sect... one day I will personally sever your head."
"That's why the powerful figures in the city ordered us to wait outside the city. Only after receiving a notification could we enter the outer city."
Nado gulped down a large mouthful of strong liquor, a dull sound coming from his throat. The swelling on his face had not yet subsided, and his eyes were full of resentment and helplessness.
"Brother Zeng Niu, you've just arrived in the Alliance Star Domain and don't know how deep the waters are here. Right now, the entire Cultivation Alliance is nominally under the leadership of Senior Long Panzi, but in reality, Azure Dragonzi and several elders control the power of entry and exit from the inner and outer cities."
Under the guise of hunting down Luo Chuan, they eliminated dissidents, looted treasures, and even made things difficult for us envoys with legitimate tokens."
Nado paused, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and then continued, "I've guarded the border for a century, risking my life every time, and finally earned an Alliance Envoy Token. I thought I could step into the outer city of Heavenly Pivot Star and find some opportunities to break through my cultivation level."
"But when I got here, I found out that to enter the city, I either had to pay an exorbitant amount of spirit crystals or have an elder from the alliance recommend me. Otherwise, I could wait until the end of time and never be able to take a single step."
The old man guarding the gate was none other than Azure Dragonzi's trusted subordinate. He was a bully who relied on his master's power and had oppressed countless outsiders like me on a daily basis.
At this point, Nado gripped his wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white, his hatred almost overflowing. "What's even more outrageous is that Azure Dragonzi secretly ordered that any cultivator from the Vermilion Bird Planet or the star regions near the Hengyue Sect are not allowed to enter the city."